The Year in Books

From Prospective Memory to Holocaust Studies, Faculty and Staff Publish Works in Wide Range of Fields

In 2017, Yeshiva University faculty and staff published books that spanned a wide range of scholarly interests, including mathematical physics, tax law, psychology, Jewish studies and library design.

“The breadth and the quality of work produced by Yeshiva University faculty and staff testify to their excellence, diversity and impact,” said Dr. Selma Botman, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Through their writings, they contribute to the vibrancy of their disciplines, the formidable education of their students and the stature of the University.”

Take a look at a selection of new works from YU authors below:

A Computational Non-Commutative Geometry Program for Disordered Topological Insulators (SpringerBriefs in Mathematical Physics, March 2017) by Dr. Emil Prodan, professor of physics at Stern College for Women, presents a computational program based on the principles of non-commutative geometry and showcases several applications to topological insulators. It is intended for graduate students and researchers in numerical and mathematical physics.

The Wurzweiler School of Social Work’s Professor Daniel Pollack has co-authored a book with Toby G. Kleinman, adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University, titled, Domestic Abuse, Child Custody, and Visitation: Winning in Family Court (Oxford University Press, May 2017). It serves as a guidebook for mental health professionals, attorneys and lay readers to help navigate the judicial process so that decisions are made in the best interests of children.

Redemption, Then and Now: Pesah Haggada with Essays and Commentary (Menorah Books, March 2017) by Rabbi Benjamin Blech, professor of Talmud, features the complete haggada text alongside Rabbi Blech’s commentary and essays exploring Passover themes. The two-sided book contains 23 short essays in Hebrew and English.

YU Chief of Staff Dr. Stuart Halpern has edited an anthology, Books of the People: Revisiting Classic Works of Jewish Thought (Maggid Books, March 2017). It discusses 10 foundational books written between the 10th and the 20th centuries that have dramatically influenced the development of Jewish thought, each examined by contemporary scholars of Jewish studies.

Dr. Halpern and Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman, rosh yeshiva at YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, have also co-edited the newest volume in the Mitokh Ha-Ohel series, Mitokh Ha-Ohel: The Festival Prayers (Maggid Books, June 2017). The anthology series collects scholarly essays by YU rabbis and religious scholars on specific themes. This latest edition seeks to enlighten, inspire and clarify the Yom Tov prayers for readers of all ages.

The second edition of The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship (Facet Publishing, November 2017), by YU Director of University Libraries Paul Glassman and co-author Judy Dyki, Library Director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, comes out this month. The book reviews methods of innovative librarianship in academic and art school libraries and offers guidelines for information professionals working in art and design environments.

Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Katie Aafjes-van Doorn and Professor Susan Llewelyn, emeritus fellow and dean of degrees at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, co-authored Clinical Psychology: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, June 2017). The as-advertised short book—just 144 pages—covers a range of domains of clinical psychology practices, difficulties, approaches and models.

Taxing the Church: Religion, Exemptions, Entanglement, and the Constitution (Oxford University Press, October 2017) by Edward A. Zelinsky, J.D., Morris and Annie Trachman Professor of Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, explores tax exemption policies for religious institutions at both federal and state levels.

Dr. Anna-Lisa Cohen, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Jason Hicks, professor of psychology at Louisiana State University, co-authored Prospective Memory: Remembering to Remember, Remembering to Forget (Springer Nature, November 2017). The brief examines current developments in the relatively new field of prospective memory, which studies how we remember to perform a planned action or recall a planned intention at some future point in time.

The Polish Underground and the Jews, 1939-1945 (Cambridge University Press, September 2017) was published in English in the United States, as well as a Polish translation for readers in that country. The book by Dr. Joshua D. Zimmerman, associate professor of history and The Eli and Diana Zborowski Professorial Chair in Holocaust Studies and East European Jewish History, examines the troubling and inconsistent relationship between the Polish resistance movement and Polish Jews during World II.

In December, Dr. Richard Hidary, associate professor of Jewish history,will publish Rabbis and Classical Rhetoric: Sophistic Education and Oratory in the Talmud and Midrash (Cambridge University Press). The book demonstrates the influence of classical rhetoric on Talmudic rabbis of the Greco-Roman period as they positioned themselves between philosophers, who boasted knowledge of objective reality, and sophists, who could debate both sides of any issue.

Vincent J. Chiapetta, assistant professor of biology, has published New York as We Know It (Mindstir Media, July 2017). Chiapetta is an avid runner and co-founder of the New York City Marathon. This volume collects poetry inspired by his experiences running in the city.